Sun baked erodible soil in the American South. Global warming is the long-term rise in the average temperature of the Earth's climate system. It is a major aspect of climate change and has been demonstrated by direct temperature measurements and by measurements of various effects of the warming.
Global warming is the long-term rise in the average temperature of the Earth's climate system. It is a major aspect of climate change and has been demonstrated by direct temperature measurements and by measurements of various effects of the warming. Global warming and climate change are often used interchangeably.[10] But, more accurately, global warming is the mainly human-caused increase in global surface temperatures and its projected continuation,[11] while climate change includes both global warming and its effects, such as changes in precipitation.[12] While there have been prehistoric periods of global warming,[13] many observed changes since the mid-20th century have been unprecedented over decades to millennia.[8][14] The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report concluded, "It is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century".[15] The largest human influence has been the emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. These findings have been recognized by the national science academies of the major industrialized nations[16][17] and are not disputed by any scientific body of national or international standing.[18][19] With current policies and pledges, global warming by the end of the century is expected to be around 3 °C (just over 2 °C to 4 °C, depending on climate sensitivity).[20] The IPCC has stressed the need to keep global warming below °C compared to pre-industrial levels to avoid irreversible impacts.[21] The remaining carbon budget for staying below °C with a twothirds chance would be exhausted in 2028 if emissions remained on the current level of 42 GtCO 2 per year.[22][23] The effects of global warming include rising sea levels, regional changes in precipitation, more frequent extreme weather events such as heat waves, and expansion of deserts.
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Location: USA
Photo credit: © Ken Hawkins / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: .., arid, baked, change, clay, climate, crack, cracked, desert, dry, drying, earth, erosion, global, hard, hardened, heat, lack, rain, south, sun, warming, water
